He drew forth the mirror from beneath his arm: the fair one's business is with a mirror.

آینه‌‌ی هستی چه باشد نیستی ** نیستی بر گر تو ابله نیستی‌‌

What is the mirror of Being? Not-being. Bring not-being (as your gift), if you are not a fool.

هستی اندر نیستی بتوان نمود ** مال داران بر فقیر آرند جود

Being can be seen (only) in not-being: the rich bestow (exhibit) generosity on the poor.

آینه‌‌ی صافی نان خود گرسنه ست ** سوخته هم آینه‌‌ی آتش زنه ست‌‌

The clear mirror of bread is truly the hungry man; tinder, likewise, is the mirror of that (the stick or flint) from which fire is struck.

نیستی و نقص هر جایی که خاست ** آینه‌‌ی خوبی جمله‌‌ی پیشه‌‌هاست‌‌

Not-being and defect, wherever they arise (appear), are the mirror which displays the excellence of all crafts.

چون که جامه چست و دوزیده بود ** مظهر فرهنگ درزی چون شود3205

When a garment is neat and well-stitched, how should it enable the tailor to exhibit his skill?

ناتراشیده همی‌‌باید جذوع ** تا دروگر اصل سازد یا فروع‌‌

Trunks of trees must be unhewn in order that the woodcutter may fashion the stem or the branches (and thus exercise his craft).

خواجه‌‌ی اشکسته بند آن جا رود ** که در آن جا پای اشکسته بود

The doctor who sets broken bones goes to the place where the person with the fractured leg is.

کی شود چون نیست رنجور نزار ** آن جمال صنعت طب آشکار

How shall the excellence of the art of medicine be made manifest when there is no emaciated invalid?

خواری و دونی مسها بر ملا ** گر نباشد کی نماید کیمیا

How shall the (power of the) Elixir be shown if the vileness and baseness of coppers is not notorious?

نقصها آیینه‌‌ی وصف کمال ** و آن حقارت آینه‌‌ی عز و جلال‌‌3210

Defects are the mirror of the quality of perfection, and that vileness is the mirror of power and glory,

ز آن که ضد را ضد کند پیدا یقین ** ز آن که با سرکه پدید است انگبین‌‌

Because (every) contrary is certainly made evident by its contrary; because honey is perceived (to be sweet by contrast) with vinegar.

هر که نقص خویش را دید و شناخت ** اندر استکمال خود ده اسبه تاخت‌‌

Whoever has seen and recognised his own deficiency has galloped with ten horses (made rapid progress) in perfecting himself.

ز آن نمی‌‌پرد به سوی ذو الجلال ** کاو گمانی می‌‌برد خود را کمال‌‌

The reason why he (any one) is not flying towards the Lord of glory is that he supposes himself to be perfect.

علتی بدتر ز پندار کمال ** نیست اندر جان تو ای ذو دلال‌‌

There is no worse malady in your soul, O haughty one, than the conceit of perfection.

از دل و از دیده‌‌ات بس خون رود ** تا ز تو این معجبی بیرون رود3215

Much blood must flow from your heart and eye, that self-complacency may go out of you.

علت ابلیس انا خیری بده ست ** وین مرض در نفس هر مخلوق هست‌‌

The fault of Iblís lay in thinking “I am better (than Adam),” and this disease is in the soul of every (human) creature.

گر چه خود را بس شکسته بیند او ** آب صافی دان و سرگین زیر جو

Though he regard himself as very broken (in spirit), know that it is (a case of) clear water (on the surface) and dung under the stream.

چون بشوراند ترا در امتحان ** آب سرگین رنگ گردد در زمان‌‌

When he (the Devil) stirs you in trial, immediately the water becomes dung-coloured.

در تگ جو هست سرگین ای فتی ** گر چه جو صافی نماید مر ترا

There is dung in the bed of the stream, my man, though to you the stream appears pure.

هست پیر راه دان پر فطن ** باغهای نفس کل را جوی کن‌‌3220

’Tis the Pír full of wisdom, well-acquainted with the Way, that digs a channel for the gardens of the Universal Soul.

جوی خود را کی تواند پاک کرد ** نافع از علم خدا شد علم مرد

Who is able to cleanse the channel of his (sensual) self? Man's knowledge is made beneficial (only) by God's knowledge.

کی تراشد تیغ دسته‌‌ی خویش را ** رو به جراحی سپار این ریش را

How shall the sword fashion its own hilt? Go, entrust (the cure of) this wound to a surgeon.

بر سر هر ریش جمع آمد مگس ** تا نبیند قبح ریش خویش کس‌‌

Flies gather on every wound, so that no one sees the foulness of his wound.

آن مگس اندیشه‌‌ها و آن مال تو ** ریش تو آن ظلمت احوال تو

Those flies are your (evil) thoughts and your (love of) possessions: your wound is the darkness of your (spiritual) states;

ور نهد مرهم بر آن ریش تو پیر ** آن زمان ساکن شود درد و نفیر3225

And if the Pír lays a plaster on your wound, at once the pain and lamentation are stilled,

تا که پندارد که صحت یافته ست ** پرتو مرهم بر آن جا تافته ست‌‌

So that he (the patient) fancies it (the wound) is healed, (whereas in reality) the (healing) ray of the plaster has shone upon the (wounded) spot.

هین ز مرهم سر مکش ای پشت ریش ** و آن ز پرتو دان مدان از اصل خویش‌‌

Beware! Do not (scornfully) turn your head away from the plaster, O you who are wounded in the back, but recognise that that (healing of the wound) proceeds from the ray: do not regard it as (proceeding) from your own constitution.

How the writer of the (Qur’ánic) Revelation fell into apostasy because (when) the ray of the Revelation shot upon him, he recited the (revealed) verse before the Prophet, on whom be peace, (had dictated it to him); then he said, “So I too am one upon whom Revelation has descended.”

پیش از عثمان یکی نساخ بود ** کاو به نسخ وحی جدی می‌‌نمود

Before (the time of) ‘Uthmán there was a scribe who used to be diligent in writing down the Revelation.

چون نبی از وحی فرمودی سبق ** او همان را وانبشتی بر ورق‌‌

Whenever the Prophet dictated the Revelation, he would write out the same (portion) on the leaf.

پرتو آن وحی بر وی تافتی ** او درون خویش حکمت یافتی‌‌3230

The beams of that Revelation would shine upon him, and he would find Wisdom within him.

عین آن حکمت بفرمودی رسول ** زین قدر گمراه شد آن بو الفضول‌‌

The substance of that Wisdom was dictated by the Prophet: by this (small) amount (of reflected Wisdom) that meddling fool was led astray,

کانچه می‌‌گوید رسول مستنیر ** مر مرا هست آن حقیقت در ضمیر

Thinking, “I have in my conscience the Truth of that which the illumined Prophet is saying.”

پرتو اندیشه‌‌اش زد بر رسول ** قهر حق آورد بر جانش نزول‌‌

The ray of his thought struck the Prophet: the wrath of God descended on his (the scribe's) soul.

هم ز نساخی بر آمد هم ز دین ** شد عدوی مصطفی و دین به کین‌‌

He abandoned both his work as a scribe and the Religion (Islam): he became the malignant foe of Mustafá (Mohammed) and the Religion.

مصطفی فرمود کای گبر عنود ** چون سیه گشتی اگر نور از تو بود3235

Mustafá said, “O obstinate miscreant, if the Light was from thee, how shouldst thou have become black (with sin)?

گر تو ینبوع الهی بودیی ** این چنین آب سیه نگشودیی‌‌

If thou hadst been the Divine fountain (whence the Revelation issued), thou wouldst not have let out such black water as this.”

تا که ناموسش به پیش این و آن ** نشکند بر بست این او را دهان‌‌

Lest his reputation should be ruined in the sight of all and sundry, this (pride) kept his mouth shut.

اندرون می‌‌سوختش هم زین سبب ** توبه کردن می‌‌نیارست این عجب‌‌

His (the scribe's) heart was burning, hence he was unable to repent: this is wonderful.

آه می‌‌کرد و نبودش آه سود ** چون در آمد تیغ و سر را در ربود

He (the scribe) was crying “Alas,” but “Alas” was of no use to him when the sword came on and took off his head.

کرده حق ناموس را صد من حدید ** ای بسا بسته به بند ناپدید3240

God has made reputation (to be like) a hundred maunds' weight of iron: oh, many a one is bound in the unseen chain!

کبر و کفر آن سان ببست آن راه را ** که نیارد کرد ظاهر آه را

Pride and infidelity have barred that Way (of repentance) in such wise that he (the sinner) cannot utter a sigh.

گفت اغلالا فهم به مقمحون ** نیست آن اغلال بر ما از برون‌‌

He (God) said, “(We have put on their necks) shackles (chin-high), and thereby they are forced to lift up their heads”: those shackles are not (put) on us from outside.

خلفهم سدا فأغشیناهم ** می‌‌نبیند بند را پیش و پس او

“(And We have put) behind them a barrier, and We have made a covering (of darkness) over them”: he is not seeing the barrier in front (of him) and behind.

رنگ صحرا دارد آن سدی که خاست ** او نمی‌‌داند که آن سد قضاست‌‌

The barrier that arose has the appearance of open country: he does not know that it is the barrier of the Divine destiny.

شاهد تو سد روی شاهد است ** مرشد تو سد گفت مرشد است‌‌3245

Your (earthly) beloved is a barrier to the face of the (Divine) Beloved: your (worldly) guide is a barrier to the words of the (true spiritual) guide.

ای بسا کفار را سودای دین ** بندشان ناموس و کبر آن و این‌‌

Oh, many are the infidels that have a passionate longing for the Religion (Islam): their chain (stumbling-block) is reputation and pride in this and that (object of desire).

بند پنهان لیک از آهن بتر ** بند آهن را کند پاره تبر

The chain is hidden. but ’tis worse than iron: the iron chain is cut in pieces by the axe.

بند آهن را توان کردن جدا ** بند غیبی را نداند کس دوا

The iron chain can be removed: none knows how to cure the invisible chain.

مرد را زنبور اگر نیشی زند ** طبع او آن لحظه بر دفعی تند

If a man is stung by a wasp, at that moment his nature is intent on a means of removing (the pain),